Are you suffering because a doctor made a mistake in Illinois? You may be entitled to significant compensation. Even if that’s true, proving medical malpractice is rarely easy. An experienced Illinois medical malpractice lawyer at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys can help you fight for full compensation to account for medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, distress, and more.
We have decades of combined experience representing injury victims across Illinois. We’ve used our skills, experience, and resources to recover over $100 million in settlements and verdicts.
Learn more about how we can put our track record of success to work for you today. Call our law offices in Illinois at (312) 726-1616 and schedule a free consultation.
How Can Zayed Law Offices Help With a Medical Malpractice Claim in Illinois?
Proving medical malpractice is almost always difficult. Even if the doctor admits they made a mistake, the defense lawyers will fight hard to prove the mistake didn’t amount to malpractice.
When you’re already suffering, you deserve an experienced Illinois personal injury attorney to advocate for you. Our team at Zayed Law Offices is ready to handle all of the challenges you’ll face.
Over the years, we’ve been recognized by prestigious lawyer rating services, including Super Lawyers and The Million Dollar Advocates Forum. We’ve helped countless people hold negligent healthcare providers accountable for their mistakes.
When you choose us to handle your case, your lawyer will:
- Dig deep and locate any evidence to prove your doctor committed malpractice
- Bring in top-rated medical experts who will testify on your behalf
- Calculate the financial value of your damages, both financial and personal
- Handle the paperwork and procedural requirements
- Negotiate with the defense attorneys and insurance companies on your behalf
Our Illinois personal injury lawyers will protect your rights at every turn. When you hire us, you won’t have to handle the legal issues alone. Just contact us today to learn more about how we can advocate for you.
What Is Medical Malpractice in Illinois?
All doctors and healthcare providers in Illinois are held to certain standards. They must provide a level of care that a reasonable, trained professional would provide under the circumstances. These standards are developed within the medical community itself.
Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional deviates from accepted standards. All healthcare professionals can be held liable for malpractice. That includes surgeons, specialists, general physicians, nurses and even medical facilities themselves.
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we handle all types of medical malpractice claims, including those involving:
- Hospital negligence
- Surgical errors
- Emergency room errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Radiology errors
- Negligence involving OBGYNs, neurologists, oncologists, cardiologists, and other specialists
- Birth injuries
- Medication errors
- Pharmacy errors
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Failure to diagnose cancer and other diseases
- Nursing negligence
If you were harmed while receiving medical treatment, contact us today. We know it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact reason you were harmed. Our Illinois medical malpractice attorneys are here to help.
Statistics on Medical Malpractice
Medical negligence is a nationwide problem. One study found that about 400,000 hospitalized patients suffer some type of preventable harm each year. A more widely-cited study by Johns Hopkins found that medical malpractice is now the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.
Unfortunately, Illinois was ranked sixth when it comes to states that pay the most in medical malpractice claims. Adjusted for cost-of-living, Illinois insurance companies and healthcare providers paid over $10.5 billion in medical malpractice payouts since 2017.
What Is My Illinois Medical Malpractice Case Worth?
All medical malpractice claims are different.
Your case value will depend on factors such as:
- The nature of the harm you have suffered
- Whether you’ll make a full physical recovery or suffer long-term impairments
- The pain and trauma you have experienced because of the mistake
- The degree of financial loss you have suffered, including increased treatment costs
- The severity of the doctor’s mistake
While all cases are different, one thing usually stays the same: an insurance company and defense team will make it difficult to get a fair compensation award. Because of the complexities involved in medical malpractice cases, having an experienced lawyer in your corner is critical.
What Types of Compensation Are Available to Victims of Medical Malpractice in Illinois?
Like any personal injury victim, you can seek compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages based on the losses you have suffered.
Common examples of the types of losses you may have experienced include:
- Increased medical expenses
- Lost wages and lost future earning potential
- Rehabilitation costs
- In-home assistance or nursing care
- Transportation costs and other out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced life expectancy
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Physical disfigurement or scarring
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages in cases involving especially shocking medical errors
There is no cap on the amount of compensation you can recover in a successful medical malpractice claim. In the past, the value of your non-economic damages was always limited by state law. Today, the law recognizes that you deserve a compensation award that fully accounts for your losses.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?
Most medical malpractice law firms charge only contingency fees. You won’t be charged an initial retainer or hourly rate. You also can hire an attorney without paying anything upfront.
“Contingency fee basis” means your fees are based on the outcome of your case. When you hire us, you agree to pay a percentage of whatever compensation we win for you. If we don’t win money for you, you owe us nothing in attorney’s fees.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Medical Malpractice?
Medical providers are still human despite years or even decades of professional training. When they’re careless, they make mistakes, which can cause patients to suffer extreme harm.
Some of the most common causes of medical negligence include:
- Misdiagnosis or misreading diagnostic tests
- Lab mixups
- Failure to take a full medical history
- Failure to recognize adverse drug interactions
- Failure to recognize a patient’s symptoms and order the correct tests
- Communication failures
- Charting errors
- Failure to properly train or supervise staff
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Leaving a foreign object in a patient’s body
- Failure to properly monitor a patient
- Lack of proper post-operative instructions
- Drug or alcohol use
- Physician bias
- Failure to refer a patient to a specialist
- Defective medical devices
Today, many medical errors happen because healthcare providers are fatigued and overworked. That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be compensated for the harm their mistakes cause.
Our lawyers in Illinois are here to help you fight for just compensation. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help.
What Do I Have To Prove To Win a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Illinois?
Medical malpractice is a type of negligence. To win your case, you must prove certain elements.
You must prove:
- You were the defendant’s patient, so they owed you a legal duty of care
- The medical standard of care that you should have received
- The defendant breached their duty by deviating from the standard of care
- The damages you suffered as a direct result of that breach
Medical negligence cases are more complex than your average negligence case. Proving the medical standard of care can be difficult.
It generally depends on:
- The nature of your medical condition
- Your age, life expectancy, and overall health
- Your medical history
- The defendant’s background, training, and expertise
Illinois medical malpractice laws require victims to submit an affidavit of merit before their case can proceed. The affidavit of merit is prepared by a medical expert who is qualified to testify about how the care you received deviated from the standard of care.
How Long Do I Have To File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit After a Doctor’s Mistake in Illinois?
The statute of limitations in Illinois gives you two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. The two-year period starts running on the date you knew, or should have known, that the harm you suffered was caused by a medical error. However, there are exceptions.
For example, a broader limitation applies in cases where you don’t discover the mistake right away. There are also different rules for cases involving minors as well as other specific kinds of cases.
Needless to say, it’s always best to take legal action as soon as you suspect you’ve been a victim. A lawyer can work immediately to preserve your right to compensation and make sure you don’t miss the deadline.
Contact a Respected Illinois Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
One simple medical error can change a patient’s life forever. If you were a victim of medical negligence, call Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys today. During your free consultation, a trusted Illinois medical malpractice lawyer can help you start the fight to recover full compensation for your losses.
